Objective To investigate the correlation between thyroid antibody level and carotid atherosclerotic plaque in patients with acute ischemic stroke.Methods Consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled retrospectively.They were divided into a non-plaque group and a plaque group according to the findings of carotid artery color-Doppler ultrasonography.The plaque group was redivided into a stable plaque subgroup and a non-stable plaque subgroup.Chemiluminescence method was used to measure the serum thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb) levels and they were compared.Results A total of 383 patients were enrolled in the study,including 116 (30.3％) did not have plaque and 267 (69.7％) had plaque,68 of them had unstable plaque,and 199 had stable plaque.The level of TGAb in the plaque group was significantly higher than that in the non-plaque group (Z =-4.826,P ＜0.001).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the level of TGAb might be an independent risk factors for carotid plaque (odds ratio 1.007,95％ confidence interval 1.001-1.012;P =0.016).The serum level of TPOAb in the stable plaque group was significantly higher than that in the unstable plaque group (Z =-2.114,P=0.035),but multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that it was not the independent risk factor for unstable plaque (odds ratio 1.001,95％ confidence interval 0.996-1.006;P =0.786).Conclusions The level of serum thyroid antibodies increased in patients with acute ischemic stroke,especially the increased level of TGAb might be associated with the occurrence and development of carotid atherosclerotic plaque,however,it was not associated with the plaque stability.

Objective To investigate the drug induced liver injure(DILI)associated with Chinese herbal medicine and herbal related food supplements.Methods From 1982 to 2005.8.9 consecutive pa- tients were diagnosed as DILI based on their medication history,clinical manifestation,liver function and other laboratory tests.The final retrospection confirmatory diagnosis was made according to the interna- tional scoring system for DILI.Results The 82 DILI patients(28 men,54 females,age ranging from 16 to 81 years old)accounted for 2.2% of hospitalized patients with liver dysfunction.Among those patients with DILI,30.5% was caused by weight reducing drugs or food supplements,12.2% by drugs of derma tology,8.5% by drugs for cardiovascular disease,8.5% by drugs of rheumatology,7.3% by drugs of gynecology,6.1% by drugs for liver disease,6.1% by blood-lipids modulators,3.7% by drugs for thy- roid disease,3.7% by drugs for hyperplasia of mammary glands and 13.4 % by the others.The duration of medication was from 6 clays to 6 months and the incubation period was from 6 days to 3 months.DILI could be classified as acute hepatocellular injury(36.59%),acute cholestasis(39.02%)and mixtures (24.39%).About 10% patients were accompanied by allergic manifestations.All patients recovered rap- idly after stopping the relevant medicine.Conclusion Chinese herbal medicine and herbal related food supplements are a common cause of DILI in China.The awareness and monitoring improving DILI during herbs treatment is a critical issue in daily practice.

Objective To investigate the protective mechanism of 7-nitro indazole (7-NI) in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. Methods Seventy-two Wistar rats of 7-day-old were randomly divided into the sham-operation、HIBD and 7-NI treated group. The HIBD models were established in 7-NI treated and HIBD groups.7-NI (100 mg/kg) or peanut oil (10 ml/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 0.5 h before hypoxia in 7-NI treated group or HIBD group. NOS,NO,SOD and MDA were examined at different time (1 h、2 h、6 h、8 h). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling(TUNEL) method was used to detect neuronal apoptosis. Results NOS and NO level of HIBD group at different time were significantly higher than that of the sham-operation group [NOS:1 h (3.345?0.367)U/mg, 8 h (4.469?0.275) U/mg vs (1.555?0.223) U/mg; NO: 1 h (2.419?0.254) ?mol/g, 8 h (3.556?0.309) ?mol/g vs (0.749?0.135) ?mol/g, P

Traditional Chinese medicine has multi-component, multi-target, and multi-path action characteristics and complexity, which makes the task of modernizing traditional Chinese medicine arduous, and many medical researchers have made unremitting efforts to this end. The development of systems biology and omics has ushered in an opportunity for the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and modern science. In particular, the characteristics integrity, dynamics, personalization, and interaction with the environment of epigenetics and metabolomics are consistent with function concept of traditional Chinese medicine. The application of popular DNA methylation, histone modifications, miRNA regulation of epigenetic research, and the application of metabolomics in the substance basis, quality control, pharmacodynamic action mechanism in traditional Chinese medicine research are reviewed in this paper. This paper also puts forward the idea that combining the two and innovative application can clarify the scientific connotation of the whole action mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine and the mechanism of multi-component, multi-channel, and multi-target synergistic action at the micro level, and explore a new research model for the scientific connotation of the core thought of traditional Chinese medicine.

Two regression models, based on panel data over the period of 2000-2011, are built and used to analyze what factors determine China's exports of primary and semi-finished products of traditional Chinese medicine to ASEAN. The results indicate that, China GDP, the ratio of ASEAN to China GDP per capita, average export price, the ratio of state-owned assets to total assets, have a significant positive influence on the export volumes of primary products of Chinese medicine. At the same time, RMB appreciation, the ratio of three kinds of foreign-invested assets to total assets, China-ASEAN Early Harvest Program, ASEAN-China Free Trade Area have a significant negative influence. In respect of the export volumes of semi-finished products of Chinese medicine, the significant influential factors are ASEAN GDP and the ratio of ASEAN to China GDP per capita. The former is positive and the latter is negative. In order to optimize the commodity composition of experts, it is needed to increase export volumes of both primary and semi-finished products of Chinese medicine. According to the analysis above, some proposals are put forward, such as, improving the performance of foreign capital, playing an exemplary and leading role in technological innovation by state-owned enterprises, taking advantage of bargaining power of suppliers, increasing outward foreign direct investment.
China ; Commerce ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; economics ; Europe, Eastern ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Quality Control

In order to analyze main influencing factors of exportation of Chinese traditional patent medicines to the EU and measure the potentialities, the panel data of the exportation of Chinese traditional patent medicines to 13 countries in the EU over the period from 2000 to 2011 were used to build a regression model. Then, this model was applied to estimate the export potentialities. The results showed that the GDPs of China and EU countries, the export prices of Chinese traditional patent medicines, the port capacities of EU countries and maritime distances between ports of two countries notably promote export trade. At the same time, unified standards of pesticide residue analysis are associated with reducing the volume of export trade. EU countries can be divided into two groups. One is the group with certain potentiality. The other is the group without ready potentiality. Suggestions were made on basis of research results in order to promote exportation of Chinese traditional patent medicines to the EU.

Objective To investigate the application of ultrasound and 64-slice spiral CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Methods Sixty-five patients with pathologically or clinally confirmed acute appendicitis were underwent ultrasound and CT examina-tion before operation or conservative treatment.Compared with pathology,the accuracy of CT and B-ultrasound imaging were ana-lyzed.Results Fifty-eight cases were correctly diagnosed by CT and 48 cases were correctly diagnosed by ultrasound,the accuracy was 89.23% (58/65)and 73.85% (48/65),respectively.There was a statistically significant difference between two groups (χ2 =5.1 1,P =0.024).Conclusion The accuracy of multi-slice spiral CT is higher than ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Objective To investigate effect of emodin on cell membrane, protein and nucleic acid synthesis of MRSA41577, and systematically investigate the anti-bacterial mechanism of emodin.Methods TTC assay was used to detected the anti-bacterial activity of emodin on MRSA 41577. Conductivity and macromolecular were detected to investigate the effect of emodin on MRSA41577 cell membrane .SDS-PAGE was used to detect the effect of emodin on the soluble protein synthesis.DAPI staining was used to detect the effect of emodin on nucleic acid synthesis.UV-visible spectrophotometric was used to detected the interaction between emodin and DNA.ResuIts Emodin has significant inhibitory activity on MRSA41577, and the minimum inhibitory concentration was 8μg/mL.After treated with 8 μg/mL emodin for 6h, compared with control group, the macromolecular and conductivity improved (71.48 ±0.026)% (P<0.01) and (2.39 ±0.102)%(P<0.05), sepreatly.Compared with control, after treated with 8μg/ml emodin for 16h,the protein reduced 32.8%, and the contents of DNA and RNA reduced (4.82 ±1.06)%(P<0.05,) and (6.67 ±0.36)%(P<0.053).The UV-visible spectrophotometric results indicated that emodin could integrate with DNA through hydrogen bond.ConcIusion The anti-bacterial mechanism of emodin mainly through damage the cell membrane , inhibit the replication and transcription of DNA through hydrogen bond , inhibit the synthesis of protein, and thus inhibit the biological function of bacteria.

Objective To investigate the influence of combined irbesartan/hydrochlomthiazide on morning blood pressure surge(MBPS)and left ventricular mass(LVM) in essential hypertension.Methods After 4-8 weeks' run-in period,if blood pressure wagn't up to the standard,the 120 patients were given irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide once daily from 150 mg/12.5 mg for 12 months to 300 mg/25mg for another 12 months.MBPS was conducted by arnbuhry blood pressure monitoring(ABPM)and LVM was determined by echocardiography at the end of placebo baseline and 12 months later.Results (1)After treatment the patients with MBPS(+)decreased and patients with MBPS(-) increased.(2)After treatment the extents of MBPS were reduced in MBPS(+)patients[systolic blood pressure(SBP)difference(16.1±1.8)mm Hg(1mm Hg=0.133 kPa)vs(29.4±2.8)mm Hg,diastolic blood pressure(DBP)difference(10.2±2.3)mm Hg vs(21.2±2.2)mm Hg,P<0.01]with little change in MBPS(-)patients[SBP difference(11.2±2.4)mm Hg vs(10.1±1.2)mm Hg,DBP difference(5.9±1.9)mm Hg vs(6.8±3.2)mm Hg]compared with before treatment.(3)LVM indexes of all patients were significantly reduced.Conclusion Irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide can effectively attenuate the extent of MBPS, and has advantages on reversing left ventricular hypertrophy.

Objective To explore whether an individual' s intention to gamble varied across different types of gambling. Methods A total of 373 Macau students completed a questionnaire survey on intention to gamble dealing with thirteen types of gambling,and exploratory factor analyses were conducted. Results The analyses showed two factors that had eigenvalues greater than one and explained a total of 59. 455 percent of the variance,with the largest factor explaining 32.59 percent. Participants' intentions to gamble were relatively lower in gambles of low counterparty with mean scores varying from ( 1.62 ± 1.13 ) to ( 2.20 ± 1.35 ), while the intentions were higher in gambles of high counterparty with mean scores varying from ( 2.34 ± 1. 39 ) to ( 3.02 ± 1.55 ). Conclusion Respondents' degree of intention to gamble was highly domain-specific, varying with the type of gambling.An individual' s intention to gamble is not consistent across all content domains, which implied that a potential gambler is not necessarily intended to gamble in all types of gambling.